Positive Psychology…my favorite subject. The mind rules the body.

Here in this video Shawn Achor reveals the The Happy secret to better work and it’s funny so enjoy.

 

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Afformations

Afformations” differ from Affirmations in that instead of making a positive statement, you ask a positive question. An “affirmation” is a statement of something that you’d like to be true in your life, such “I am rich”. Often times “affirmations” aide in changing the negative self talk into positive self talk. “Afformations”, instead ask empowering questions that cause your mind to focus on what you REALLY want and what you HAVE, and stop focusing on what you don’t want and don’t have. So instead of issuing a statement, you ask a question, “Why am I rich?“.

Afformations where discovered in April 1997 by Noah St. John, www.Afformations.com. The human mind is always asking and searching for the answers to questions. When you ask a question the mind wants to find a solution. This process sets up a positive feeling and searches for answers.

Afformations are an incredibly powerful method that you can use to change your life. Try using “Afformations” for the next few weeks and watch how quickly your mind & attitude shift. Manifesting your dreams, desires & goals now have a new tool to quicker success.

Link to example Afformations »

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Affirmations

Every thought you think and every word you say is an affirmation. All of our self-talk or inner dialogue is a stream of affirmations. We are continually affirming subconsciously with our words and thoughts and this flow of affirmations is creating our life experience in every moment. This self-talk can be positive or negative.

Positive affirmations are healing self-talk you give to yourself, to counter your negative self-talk that you say either unconsciously or consciously. Every time you think negative thoughts, you are affirming negative outcomes in your life. Every positive thought will create positive changes in every area of your life. Learning to change your inner thoughts from negative to positive will create a more positive life experience.

Saying positive affirmations over and over again is only part of the process of creating a positive life experience. How your inner & outer dialogue expresses through your thoughts into actions, is even more important. What you choose to think about is what you will cultivate in your life.

What kind of thoughts make you feel good? Thoughts of love, gratitude, appreciation, joy, & kindness cultivate the opportunity for miracles in your life.

It is important for you to say your affirmations in the present tense; for example: “I am” Or “I have” If your self-talk says, “I do not want to be ill anymore”, this is not an affirmation for healing, as the statement expresses what you do not want, instead of expressing what you actually want. “I allow perfect health to be my normal state now”, expresses what you really want to cultivate.

It is also important you say your affirmations until they become a part of you. Saying affirmation all throughout your day will manifest a good day. When you say your affirmations with passion, a higher emotional state is achieved and the more effective they become. When you change your thoughts, everything in your life will change too.

Link to list of Affirmations »

Here is the AM/PM meditation by Louise Hay that I used for years for myself that was transformational for my health and life. I also shared this with my step daughter who also was empowered by this.

Morning

[audio: https://thejourneywithin.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/01-Track-01-1.mp3]

Evening

[audio: https://thejourneywithin.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/02-Track-02-2.mp3]

Here is the work of  Belleruth Naparstek who has a wide collection of Guided Imagery to Affirmations on all most every health condition.

This track is Affirmations for Spiritual Guide

[audio: https://thejourneywithin.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/HJ-SpiritualGuide-3-Affirmations.mp3]

This track is Affirmations for Addiction Recovery

[audio: https://thejourneywithin.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/HJ-Alcohol-REV-3-Affirmations.mp3]

 

I personally find Affirmations very powerful and supportive in my journey and you may as well.

banner_leaves_01Counseling

squares_19Stress impacts your life as well as family and friends. It affects how you feel, it can change your relationships with family and friends, and it can impact your plans for the future.

Many people find that in this difficult time, anxieties can be eased through caring, sensitive support from a variety of counseling professionals.

It is highly recommended that you get the support to fit your needs. There are many types of services for helping one cope with the issues surrounding change.

Link to Steps to Heal & Change Your Life »

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Meditation

Meditation has been around since the beginning of humankind. It is simple. Being Present. Quieting the noise/thoughts in your mind.

Time Magazine: “Not only do studies show that meditation is boosting their immune system, but brain scans suggest that it may be rewiring their brains to reduce stress. It’s recommended by more and more physicians as a way to prevent, slow or at least control the pain of chronic diseases like heart conditions, AIDS, cancer and infertility.”

But what exactly happens when you meditate?

Your brain functions on a small amount of electricity, much like a computer. This electrical current vibrates and pulses at various speeds. When you are wide awake, with your eyes focused, your brain vibrates 20 times per second – what scientists call 20 cycles per second or the Beta frequency.

You are probably at this beta level of mind right now as you read this. When you go to sleep, your brain frequency slows down, all the way to about half cycle per second in the deepest levels of natural sleep. This is known as the Delta level. In between Beta, the waking state, and Delta, the deep sleep state, there are two other levels of mental activity.

When you are in a light level of sleep or in meditation you are in the Alpha range, which is 7 to 14 cycles per second. This is the center range and this is what we mean by saying “going to your center”. Going to the alpha level or centering is essentially the same thing as meditating. When someone meditates, scientifically, they are simply reducing their brain wave frequency to Alpha. The Alpha level is the level we use to activate our minds. Theta is a level of deeper relaxation or sleep, when your brain waves are at 4 to 7 cycles per second.

There are many benefits of “going to the Alpha level” or meditating. Jose Silva found that people who can remain in the Alpha level while analyzing information have access to more information than those who remain in Beta to do their thinking. Feelings of intuition, creative ideas, inspirational thoughts and ideas come to people while at this Alpha level. Going to Alpha is also good for programming your mind. At the Alpha level you can learn to overcome all kinds of problems, such as insomnia, tension and migraine headaches, bad habits, and much more. You can also program your mind to help you achieve your goals and make your dreams come true.

The Value of Meditation

Meditation is vital for helping you reconnect with your inner-self, allowing the quiet time you need to experience your journey of self discovery. Through meditation we establish a new relationship to inner tendencies such as desire, anger, and confusion. By seeing these states clearly as they are, we are no longer controlled by them.

We begin meditation with the focusing of attention on the breath, the practice concentrates and calms the mind. It allows one to see through the mind’s conditioning and thereby to live more fully present in the moment. As we find balance among the changing conditions of life, we see that wholesome qualities such as patience, generosity, and compassion emerge naturally.

Through Meditation we pay clear attention to whatever exists naturally in this present moment. The specific focus for our awareness can vary, from bodily sensations to sights to thoughts and feelings. We often begin by paying attention to the sensations of breathing.

We sit still, either cross-legged on the floor or upright in a chair, and allow our eyes to close gently. Then we turn our attention to the breath and simply experience, in as continuous a way as possible, the physical sensations of breathing in and breathing out.  Mindfulness is the heart of Meditation.

Meditation can also be carried on throughout our daily activities. We can be mindful of the movement of our body, the sensations in walking, the sounds around us, or the thoughts and feelings that come into our mind. As our meditation practice develops, we find that the mind becomes calmer and clearer. We start to see the influence of our habitual patterns of moods, expectations, hopes, and fears. In seeing through the mind’s conditioning, we can live more fully in the present moment with balance and spaciousness. We are no longer so swayed by the shifting thoughts and feelings of our conditioned responses. This is the first taste of freedom.

We are fully in touch with our experience of life, but we are not limited by it. We can act skillfully, with compassion for ourselves and for others, even when difficult states of mind are present. As we investigate further from this place of calm, clear seeing, the dimension of wisdom begins to unfold in our practice. When the mind is balanced and fully present, it is open to new understanding, or insight.

Link to Meditation Instructions »

Link to Metta Meditation (Loving Kindness Meditation) »

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Visualizations

Visualization is a powerful technique used by professional athletes, actors, healers and other professionals.

Visualization is the process of actively imagining in your mind what ever it is you want to achieve. The reason this is so powerful is because you create images in your mind of seeing yourself with what it is you want, you are generating thoughts and feelings of having it in the now. Visualization is concentrated focused thought put into images and it causes strong feelings. When you are visualizing, you are emitting the powerful frequency out into the universe.

When you visualize, you materialize.

For example, Olympic athletes were trained to visualize the event in their mind and then they were hooked up to a biofeedback machine. The same muscle fired in the same sequence as when they were actually running the race on the track. What this proves is that when you have been there in the mind, you can go there in the body.

Visualization is all about achieving your dreams. The interesting thing for us is that this technique works for anything that we want to do, visualizing yourself achieving good health, success, happiness etc., whatever it is you want to achieve, dramatically improves your chances of achieving it.

Link to Exploring Visualizations »